Month: March 2012

In ten years time (actually this is too long already but I don’t want to put too much pressure on my provider), my goal is to visit the top 5 destinations on my list;

1. Japan – More than seeing Disneyland and Hello Kitty Theme parks, visiting temples, eating Japanese food everyday, riding the bullet train, etc…. I want to see its beauty during the Cherry blossom season.

4. Washington D.C. – Thanks to Dan Brown’s bestseller The Lost Symbol, I got curious about Freemasonry and I want to see all the Masonic symbols and coded messages mentioned in the book, not to mention what DC can offer as a tourist destination. Actually, it was Dan Brown who introduced me to Louvre Museum as well.

5. Amsterdam – I asked a well-travelled Priest on what’s the best place in Europe he’s been so far, he said Amsterdam confidently. I searched about it and here’s a piece of what I got, “Beer cafes, brown cafes, coffeeshops, grand cafes, tasting houses… whatever you fancy, Amsterdam’s got the cafe to suit.” Just that and I’m convinced.

Spain and Brazil are trailing closely behind. Not to mention London and Scotland that I want to see again. This is one of those times that I really wish I am a billionaire… so freakin’ bad!

By this time last year I’m starting to prepare documents for Shengen visa application. For this year, thanks to Marcus’ 13th bday and Zach’s 7th, I have all the reason to book our plane tickets to Singapore. We also plan to visit Malaysia and Indonesia. To be honest, I promised Gary last year that after the Euro trip, we’ll start saving (meaning, enough travel for I don’t know how many years). But you see, you can promise anything when your dream just came true LOL.

We have another opportunity to go back to Frankfurt, Germany this April. So important for the company (I cannot divulge right now) that Gary and I are really considering it. It’s so hard to decide because we have to consider the budget and the 3 kids that we cannot bring along. My heart is torn.

This is definitely not a financial report! Just a summary of how I started 2012.

Sometime last year I wrote this blog, Be Still because I feel that I am not maximizing my time, energy, skills and knowledge. And because God loves answering my prayers, I am now juggling quite a number of things. On top of my motherly/wife duties, Financial and Admin work for Search Opt Media, who would have thought that I’ll be managing a coffee shop that started literally from scratch. I am also expected to deliver an iphone App in a few months time because the course that I started attending last Nov 2011 is about to end. (Again, finish a working iphone app, *shivers*) It’s not an impossible dream though, it just requires a lot of time practicing codes we discussed and coming up with my own, and time is a luxury for me.

We also transferred our head office, so we no longer enjoy the convenience of working at home. We have to do it because it’s part of ‘growing’ as a company and we really need a place where we could receive our clients. And now I miss staying at home and doing nothing because even during weekends I have to be at the coffee shop.

I am not complaining though. I may be tired and all, I am still thankful for all these opportunities. Besides, I feel that God is helping me manage everything and that if everything is settled already, meaning I have enough people I could delegate work to, these will all be a piece of cake.

Lesson learned, when God asked you to relax and do nothing, enjoy that opportunity because the next thing you know, you don’t even have time to comb your hair. LOL

How does it feel and how is it like to have a 13 year old son? You can ask me now.

Marcus celebrates his entry to teenage life today and I feel so blessed to have a handsome, healthy, smart, sweet and loving son. I am proud of him because I know he can handle himself well. I envy his confidence and assertiveness. Quoting his school principal, “Some are born leaders and some followers… with Marcus, he can effortlessly lead and influence the class.” Gary and I have noticed that leadership skill as well, but for educators to point that out (despite his naughtiness) is really something else. That is also why we bring our kids to different countries (even how expensive that can be) because I’ve read in a management book that great leaders are well traveled. Not to mention he’s really into World History that he got an A+ in his report card.

On the contrary, I am also scared because he’s becoming more and more independent, meaning, he doesn’t need much of my time and attention like how my smaller kids do. He wants time for himself. He wants to do things on his own. He kisses and embraces me very fast when in front of his friends and classmates. (Teens! *eyes rolling*)

I am jealous because he is starting to like girls. He even once used “I love (girl’s name)” as password. Ouch! LOL

Being a mother for 13 years, I’ve experienced the joys and pains of parenthood. It was definitely a learning and re-learning process. But he may be a teenager now, almost as tall as I am, outsmarts me in some things, may have watched more movies than I did… he will still and always be my first born baby.